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Alaska Dispatch's Best of the Week: June 11-15

If readership is any indication of what stories matter most, then this week's biggest news in Alaska involved the ongoing federal murder-conspiracy trial of Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney and Lonnie Vernon, three Fairbanks-area militiamen whose case was handed over to a jury of 12 on Thursday. Read all about it in our explainer about the trial -- what the charges are, a look at the defendants and the sentences they face, if convicted.

Bear maulings and moose attacks continued to make headlines in Alaska's largest city, as well. With another mauling reported first by Alaska Dispatch on Friday, this summer officially has become the worst for Anchorage bear attacks in four years. But bears aren't the only problem animals; moose encounters are up as well.

Did you catch our story on five mythical Alaska creatures? This time of summer in Alaska, it's nice to read something a bit lighter. Check it out.

A jury now must decide the fate of three militia men from Fairbanks accused in a violent anti-government plot. Here's a guide to the charges, the men accused, and the arguments for and against conviction.

Eskimo whalers have been working since the late 1980s to replace the old black-powder bomb used for more than a century. International Whaling Commission mandates to improve hunting efficiency fueled the effort.